Immunisation: what do parents and health visitors in Barnet know about meningitis and Haemophilus influenzae type b?

Abstract

THIS study examined the attitudes to and knowl edge of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis of 105 parents attending child health clin ics, and 55 health visitors practising in Barnet Dis trict Health Authority in August and September 1991. A minority of parents knew that meningitis could be prevented by immunisation or had heard of the Hib vaccine. Although 87 per cent of parents saw health visitors as the most important source of ad vice on immunisation generally, they were less im portant than the media as a source of information about meningitis (13 per cent versus 58 per cent). Thirty-eight per cent of the health visitors were un certain of the causes of meningitis, only 12 per cent mentioned Hib as a cause of meningitis in the under- fives, and the majority (76 per cent) did not know that a vaccine against Hib infection existed. This study indicated that there was a need for more information both for parents and health visitors on meningitis and Hib in advance of the launch of the Hib vaccine.